The Most Useful Advice
by akamai
Summary: Naruto always gives Sasuke the most useful advice, regarding himself, and the ones that he cares for. [SasuSaku]


**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Naruto manga/anime. This is for the White Day contest in the SasuSaku Fanclub at the NarutoFan forums.

**  
The Most Useful Advice**

Sasuke rarely learned anything from Naruto, but the few lessons he had received from his best friend became what he considered his most useful advice.

Naturally, the first was his advice to protect his precious people; keep his bonds, and he will be strong. Sasuke had learned this before he left Konoha as a young teenager and Naruto was a prime example on how this worked, but he had to be taught this again when his team, his old friends, retrieved him years later.

Another lesson, as quoted from Naruto was to, "pay Kakashi-sensei back every time he treats us to Ichiraku". When Kakashi claimed he was going to treat his team out to eat, someone else usually ended up paying, and with the few times that he actually did he expected his money back. Naruto learned this the hard way, and Sasuke listened to him, since he learned to respect Kakashi and his other friends even if he would never admit it.

A third was when Naruto treated Sasuke out to Ichiraku because he had lost a bet. It was just the two of them that day because Kakashi was out of the village on a 'very important mission' (no one really believed him, but no one bothered to call him out on his lie) and Sakura was at her home studying some medical ninjutsu as Tsunade, her teacher, advised her to. Sasuke and Naruto were planning to spar and whoever won had to treat the other, but Sasuke decided to make it simpler.

"You can't go a whole day without mentioning ramen," Sasuke challenged him.

Naruto squinted his eyes and pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke. "You're on!" he told him.

Shortly after they still had a short spar it ended up as a tie. "Let's go get ramen!" was the first thing Naruto said afterwards.

"Hn," Sasuke told him. "You lose, you pay."

Although the boys enjoyed each others company, Ichiraku was empty, which made it a little lonely. This made Naruto spark up conversation.

"I kind of wish Sakura-chan was here today," he told Sasuke. "Then I could have told her it's White Day, and then you would have to use your money on someone else too." He scowled. "Now I'm broke again, because of you."

"What the heck is White Day?" Sasuke asked Naruto, ignoring his last remark.

"It's when you give Sakura-chan gifts in return for all of the gifts she's wasted on you. Heh…actually, it's really giving back for what you got on Valentine's Day, but you owe Sakura-chan a lot..."

Sasuke wrinkled his brow. In that case, he'd be giving gifts to every girl in Konoha. But point in case, he had definitely never heard of White Day. He was sure Naruto was making it up.

"You're a lying idiot," Sasuke told him. "You want me to randomly buy a gift for Sakura to punish me for punishing you—"

"I'm not lying!" Naruto screeched, offended. "You can ask any random guy in Konoha if it exists and they all would know…but not you, because you wouldn't bother to celebrate it."

Naruto wanted to continue, but heard a sigh not too far behind him and saw one of his old pals, Shikamaru, leaning near the exit of Ichiraku. He was holding a small box in one hand and jiggling coins in another.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Naruto called him over. He placed his hand on the seat next to him, motioning for his other friend to sit down.

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked, annoyed. "I have things to do."

"Like what?" Sasuke asked him. He was surprised Shikamaru had 'things to do.' He was used to seeing him sitting around complaining. Of course, many of his fellow classmates in the academy had changed over the years.

"It's troublesome, but I have to give this woman back a gift for giving one to me. It'll take me a while to get all that money back."

"Is it for White Day?" Naruto asked.

"Sure."

Naruto grinned; Sasuke scowled.

Shikamaru, oblivious to what had just occurred, stood up. "Like I said, I have to go. I hope you two have given back gifts to those people who gave you some last month. Women can be crazy when you don't..." he mumbled the last part while leaving the shop.

"You better start looking for a gift now Sasuke-kun!" Naruto mockingly told him.

Sasuke didn't answer, but glowered again, thinking about Shikamaru's last words.

Naruto continued and a serious look took over his childish expression. "Look, I'm not just doing this because I want to get revenge on you. Sakura-chan really deserves to have something back for everything she's done for you."

It was true. Sasuke had a fleeting thought that Naruto would be the perfect boyfriend for any girl. He knew Sakura had probably known that by now, but it bothered him that she seemingly still liked him and not the other people who deserved her.

"She's also in love with you," Naruto said, intellectually. "So you better do it."

"Why are we talking about this?" Sasuke asked him.

"Because I like making you uncomfortable," Naruto told him, "And you have to spend your money too."

"Annnnd it's also the way she still looks at you," Naruto continued, "and the way she rarely insults you. Sakura-chan really likes you, Sasuke."

Sasuke winced. He needed to stop saying that. "Whatever, total moron," Sasuke said to him. "I'm done eating. I'm going out."

"Are you shopping for a present?" Naruto asked Sasuke, in his normal voice.

"Hn."

Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out of the restaurant.

Talking about Sakura's feelings toward him with Naruto made him very uneasy. That was part of Naruto's mission, so he sure succeeded.

The idea that Sakura was still in love with him bothered Sasuke the most. Neither of them had mentioned to each other what happened between them before he left and he wasn't even sure if she felt the same anymore. She was not clingy, and she treated him like a good friend now. She never really blushed when he spoke to her, or got angry at other girls for speaking to him.

This made him slightly worried.

But he didn't know how to get a gift for Sakura without being embarrassed. He wasn't the mushy type, and Sakura's strong emotions always seemed to affect him greatly. When she cried, he panicked, when she was angry it bothered Sasuke that she wasn't angry at him (but even if she were to get angry at him, he would then want her not to be angry with him).

Since he was deep in thought, Sasuke was home before he realized it.

And even quicker than that, he was looking for a present for Sakura.

It was too late to go to stores to buy anything because most stores were closed, making him on his own. Sasuke went to a back room and rummaged through some old clan items. In a box he knelt down and pulled out what seemed like a small cloth, but upon pulling the rest out it was a beautiful kimono.

It was the usual Uchiha colors, red, blue, and white, with the Uchiha fan on the back. The colors looked for royalty and it looked fit for a woman. It was his mother's, Sasuke eventually realized.

His mother had never worn it, and it still looked fairly new. Sasuke's mind told him to put the kimono down, but his body didn't. Sasuke delicately kept on holding the kimono. He wouldn't give anything of his clan's away unless it was really worth it. It needed to be worn. It was meant for Haruno Sakura.

Sasuke got back up and tried to remember the way to Sakura's home. He eventually remembered that he had never been to her home, but figured that he would find it—it was a small village.

Sasuke proceeded to the front of his home and opened the door, but ironically Sakura stood before him.

Her knuckles were about an inch away from the door, and she looked half surprised, half scared about Sasuke being right at the door. She put her hand down.

"Sakura," he said.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," she told him, "but Naruto said you wanted to see me. But…you're leaving so I guess he was lying..." _You are not and never will be funny, Naruto,_ Sakura thought. She was going to kill him. But—

"That's true."

Sakura felt her heart beat faster. She felt dumb about actually going to Sasuke's house, expecting him to want to talk to her in the first place, because about halfway to her destination she suspected it wasn't true.

...but it was true.

"Why did you want to see me?" Sakura asked him, breaking the awkward silence.

Sasuke suddenly thrust the kimono to her. "Here." He didn't want a fanfare or anything leading up to her getting the gift.

Sakura took the kimono. "Um..."

"Hn."

"Thanks. But why did you give me this...?"

"It's White Day," Sasuke grunted. "...it's a present."

"Oh," Sakura softly smiled. "Thanks for the White Day present."

Sakura was surprised when Sasuke was the one to speak again, and a little too much for him.

"I know it's not enough for all of the years," he told her, "but I thought you would like this. It was my mother's. That's why it probably won't fit you."

"This is really sweet," Sakura told him. The colors on the dress matched her red dress that she currently wore. "Why did you suddenly think of this?"

"I didn't," Sasuke curtly said. "The idiot told me to."

Sakura's face fell. So Naruto told him to. Part of her had a feeling this act of kindness was too good to be true.

"But that's not the whole reason..." Sasuke told her, stepping closer. "Sakura, I...um...wanted to say thanks…for everything. I'm sorry it took so long for me to do something."

"Sasuke-kun, it's ok," she softly told him. One of her hands reached up to play with her hair. She knew it was awkward for Uchiha Sasuke to say such a thing to her.

"It's not," Sasuke bluntly said.

"But still," Sakura told him again. "It was sweet...for you."

"Sakura."

"Hmm?"

"He said you still really liked me," he informed her and started his tirade. "Don't you know any better? You should have given up. I don't think you should waste time with me. It doesn't make sense."

"Don't you know I'm not an Uchiha?" Sakura countered. She held up the kimono. "And you still gave me this. When I wear this kimono it won't make sense to anyone. (Sasuke gave a contemplating look. She had a point). I don't think me or Naruto or Kakashi-sensei ever wasted our time with you. We would have wasted time if we sat around sobbing about you or were fine about you going to Sound. I don't care if you're the nicest person on the earth or a complete jerk. I'll still love you."

Sakura blushed at her last statement. It was the second time in her life that she had said it, and both times she had blurted it out. "We...all love you. In different ways," she added. "Nobody wastes time when dealing with the ones they love."

"I get your point," Sasuke told her, still musing on her rant.

"Sorry for rambling," Sakura told him. "It just—"

"—had to come out," Sasuke finished. "I know."

They looked at each other and Sakura nervously sighed. She turned around and looked at the sky. It was getting late.

"I have to go," Sakura told him. "It's late and my parents are probably going to kill me for being gone so long. I told them I would only be a few minutes..."

Unexpectedly, Sakura felt bold and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Sasuke on the cheek. "Happy White Day," she murmured. Not wanting to see Sasuke's reaction, she turned to leave but Sasuke grabbed her wrist and turned her back around. He gave a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Happy White Day," he told her, an indifferent gaze on his face.

Lost for words, Sakura only blushed and stared at him for a few moments. Biting her lip and waving goodbye, she was quick to leave his home. Sasuke stared after his friend until she disappeared. He wondered where that kiss came from. Both of theirs.

He almost shut the door when a foot stopped the door from closing. "Hey, hey! You didn't spend any money!" The door stopper exclaimed. Sasuke scowled. It was the idiot.

"Moron. How long have you been here?"

"I just saw Sakura-chan leave."

"Liar."

"You should be thanking me, since you got a kiss from a pretty girl," Naruto told him.

"Forget it," Sasuke replied, and slammed the door.

However, while he walked up to his room to rest, Sasuke inwardly thanked Naruto. Naruto's advice was pretty useful; he had to give him that.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This also happens to be my very first Naruto Fic. I finally wrote one! Please review if you read, and try to give constructive advice if you can. 


End file.
